From a Distance
by Metonymicmortal
Summary: This is an AU fic From Eren's POV. Eren's life is boring, he's fed up with society. He may have great friends like Mikasa and Armin but he's in need of something more meaningful. He decides to create a character in an MMORPG named: "Behind the Walls" He meets a cranky, clean freak and is forced to realize his life is not- or at least wont be as boring as he thought. Discontinued.
1. Chapter 1

From A Distance

My life has been the same for almost its entirety. I felt trapped, going through the same motions over and over. They weren't even great motions by my standards, at least. Why was it that everyone else was satisfied with this? It was as if we were imprisoned in this superficial cycle. Get up, obey parents, go to school, have people patronize you and screw with you… Go home, do chores, check Tumblr until life seems distant and go to bed. _Gee, what a wonderful life. _

As I walked through my door, removing my shoes and placing them on the shelf alongside Mikasa's boots, I heard a few noises from the staircase. "What took you so long, Eren?" Mikasa said, standing a few meters away.

"You know, maybe if I was in advanced classes that ended two hours early, I might have been here earlier."

"You know, you probably wouldn't enjoy it even if you were…" She said. _Of course not, I can't handle the people of average intelligence already. I can just imagine being surrounded by people as intelligent and talented as Mikasa, around me at all times. _I made my way past her and up the stairs, she followed me to my room. I set my bag down, put my keys on my desk next to my laptop. "Eren, you should do your homework instead of going on Tumblr." She tells me as she makes my bed. It was always a disaster in my room, I didn't really have time to place my things, so Mikasa would do it whenever she was here.

"Uh.. Um, yeah. I'll do it in a few minutes, Mikasa… But I can't do my homework when you're here. You'll distract me."

She seemed as if a sudden realization hit her. "I guess I should give you more space.."

After cleaning, she left my room and closed the door behind her. I let out a sigh of relief. _It's not that I don't like her but she doesn't understand how I feel. As long as we're taken care of, Mikasa will do anything our parents want us to do. I'll never be satisfied with a life of obedience. I need to find my own reality._ I logged into my laptop, the password was a sort of promise to myself: "_Wingsoffreedom"._ It was from a game I recently learned about, it was free to everyone online. It was called: "_Behind the Walls_." And it was becoming a lot more popular, even Armin was playing it in his spare time. _Odd that Armin would even play games other than chess and puzzles. He's normally too scared to play anything else. He refuses to even touch my Xbox. _

I didn't sign up for it yet, I knew based on games I've played before, that I would probably get addicted to it and spend every night on my laptop. I contemplated the pros and cons: _Sure, I would be addicted but what do I have right now other than homework and chores? It would keep me busy. I guess, as soon as I do gain something worth spending my time on in life, then I can just quit._ Just like that, I clicked the button "Create new account."

The character creation process came after the rules. I normally skipped through these sort of things and just accept, but I spotted a few words while skipping the wall of text that were odd… Like: Kill, regiment, government, etc... Normally there were rules of conduct like: "Don't swear" or "harassment will lead to temporary exile until your case is reviewed." This time, I read through it.

"Your character will not be decided by you, it shall be created based on a survey. This character will only have one life, once your character is killed, you will no longer be allowed to create a character. If you are caught trying to create another character after death, based on agreeing to this document, you will be charged and removed from the game. Once your character has been created, you will be able to make your own decisions for the rest of the game without interference from our staff. When you are offline, your character will still exist as if you were online, in the game for the sake of the others. But it shall not take action other than care for itself, eat and sleep. Other rules will be explained as the game progresses. By clicking bellow, you agree to follow the rules."

_Were those even rules?... _I clicked the box. I spent around an hour answering the questions in the survey, they asked about my personality, my strengths, my weaknesses, my beliefs, my physical characteristics and it insisted on my honesty. Finally, a small vortex appeared on my screen, everything went black and my character stood in the middle of a small wooden home. There was a box with the graphics in the middle of my screen. A small box in the top right corner for chat, bottom right box was for statistics, health, hunger…. There was a box on the bottom left box had my inventory, my equipment I was wearing and could wear… and the top left was an action box. It had options for the game, additional actions and instructions…. There was also a tab in this box, I clicked on it and all it was, was a small rounded door with a giant lock in the middle. I had no key for it. _Strange…_

I could move my character with the arrow keys on my keyboard. "This is easy." I left my house and ran into a small blonde character. I looked closer and realized it looked exactly like Armin. "ARMIN!" I typed.

"Eren?!" He stood surprised for a bit but suddenly a giant bubble of text appeared on top of his character. "EREN, QUICKLY! WE DON'T HAVE TIME! THE TITANS PENETRATED THE WALLS O WE NEED TO GET TO THE GATE."

"Titans? The walls? Armin, you need to explain things to me!"

"EREN, there's no time! Follow me, I'll tell you everything when we're there."

"Okay!" I followed him through the maze of houses. There were corpses everywhere. I couldn't fathom why Armin was playing this game. It was hard to navigate, the ground would shake occasionally and my character would momentarily stop walking, debris would fall from the sky and hit players. What a terrible way to die…. I mean, since they couldn't play ever again thanks to a rock. Before entering the gate, I caught a glimpse of a giant, almost human looking creature eating another player. _Ugh._

We hopped onto a boat, there were people in uniforms, holding giant razor blades that guided us through the crowd to the boat. I was inspired by their bravery. I could see them in the distance on my screen. They were doing what seemed impossible. Those giants, each of them were like a boss battle and they outnumbered us. Soon enough we were too far and the scene wasn't playing on my screen anymore.

Armin started explaining everything to me. "Lastly, Eren, those giants are called titans and they are our enemies. They threaten to destroy the human race… Depending on how you play the game, you might have to face them."

"This wall thing is stupid, who would play a game just to hide? I'll fight those bastards!"

Armin sighed. "I guess you'll be part of the military, then. I guess I'll join you."

"Uh. Armin. One more thing…"

"Yeah?"

"Well, what's with the locked door in the options menu?"

"The what?" he asked, completely lost.

"Oh.. Never mind, I'll figure it out later." I said, waiting for my chance to start my adventure.


	2. Chapter 2

I got home from school, took off my shoes in a hurry and left them there as I ran up the stairs. Mikasa stuck her head out of her room. I closed the door on her. Threw my bag onto my bed and opened my laptop. "Wingsoffreedom"… As the game loaded I took out some snacks I hid under my desk a while ago. Just as my game loaded and I finally spotted my character in the barracks, I heard a knock at my door. It was my father. I figured I would listen to what he had to say since he's barely ever here.

"Eren, Mikasa tells me you've been spending all your time on video games, again."

I nodded, not really interested in prolonging the conversation. "Well, Eren, I don't want you to get too absorbed in your little games. You have a bright future ahead of yourself, you're going to graduate from high school soon and I would prefer you get a part time job then spend all your time on the computer."

"And spend all my time working, like you, dad?" I glared.

He had a disheartened expression on his face. He opened his mouth to say something but decided against. I watched him hesitate and leave my room. _He had a point and I could be like everyone else and work. It would probably help me out if I go to college. _But before I could guilt trip myself, I decided to cut myself some slack. Turning towards my screen. Armin was already at it. "Eren. Eren, I can see you're online."

"Yeah, sorry Armin. I was just distracted for a second."

"Let's go find the others."

I followed Armin to the lunch room, we sat at a picnic table. I made sure it was a good distance away from Jean. Armin brought some food for me. "So Eren, did you decide what you were going to do once we graduate as cadets?" Without hesitating I typed. "Sure, you know I've been wanting to join the survey corps." Armin wasn't surprised.

"Well, it's not that I'm surprised, I was just hoping you'd have at least considered something else."

"Unlike some people, I don't want to hide behind more walls. I'd sooner jump into a titans mouth then join something like the military police."

Then in the corner of the screen, I saw her. Black hair and a red scarf. Armin's avatar waved at her. "MIKASA! What are you doing here? I really didn't think you were a video game type." Armin said. But she didn't answer, she was just walking towards me. I got very nervous. "Mikasa. Wait. How did you even know what video game I was playing?"

She answered; "I just googled popular pc games and tried every single one." No wonder she seemed a little off. _Wait a second… It took me weeks to get to this point in the game. _

"So now you're better at video games then me…"

Armin laughs. "Afraid so, Eren!"

I sighed. Interestingly enough, Jean and his little group of friends approach us. "Oh hello, I haven't seen you around. What's your name?" He leans on the table, standing between my avatar and Mikasa's.

"My name's Mikasa." She said flatly.

"Well, Mikasa. You have beautiful hair."

"Thank you."

I was starting to get bored. I wanted to join the survey corps as soon as possible. I probably wasn't the best at button combinations and my reaction times weren't always the best but I wasn't terrible. But games were meant to be fun, I wasn't here to play house. Impulsively, I kicked jean's arm. He dropped down, hitting his face on the table and catching himself before hitting the ground. He marched towards me. "SERIOUSLY? WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM, JAEGER? Moody because I'm better then you and I'm picking up your girl?" I just glared at him.

Mikasa takes my hand and pulls me out of the room. "Stop picking a fight with people who are a higher level then you." She said.

_Yeah, yeah… _As we exit the building we run into Sasha and Christa. They were hugging, Sasha seemed to be stuffing her face with food…at the same time…..

The day arrived, I was finally going to join the survey corps. There was a huge group of players all lined up perfectly. A man who introduced himself as Erwin took the stage, giving a long speech about the dangerous path of the survey corps and how most of us would all be dead within a few months. After giving his speech, quite a few people left. Surprisingly Jean stayed. His avatar was dangerously close to Mikasa's. I already knew where that was going to go. _Haha._

We were all lead towards a stone building where we were separated into groups. I found myself in a very small group, I was the only new member. A nice girl with blonde hair approached me.

"Hi, I'm Petra! Here's your uniform…."

The other men in the squad were ignoring me for the most part. Petra showed me to my room and around the place. It was huge. Near the end of the tour, we ran into a man walking alone in the halls. Petra smiled and called out to him as he was turning a corner. "Captain! Captain, it's the new guy! His name is… Um." She turned towards me. "What's your name again?"

"Eren."

"Oh alright!" She spun round back towards the man who was just standing there. No matter how you looked, he seemed really un-interested.

"Petra, are you sure we should be bothering him?"

"Oh yes! His face is pretty scary, isn't it?" She giggled and pulled me towards him. "His name is Eren!"

The man paused. "I see. Petra, this place is in need of some cleaning."

Petra's expression changed to a serious expression. "YES CAPTAIN!"

I must have had a strange expression on my face. _Cleaning? In a video game? They really thought of everything. This guy must be an ultra-clean freak in real life to order everyone to clean in a game.._ I followed Petra to a room where they stored supplies. She handed me some rags, a broom and a few other things which I put into my inventory.

"OKAY." She pulls me closer. "You HAVE to understand. Clean as if your life depended on it…."

A little worried, I nodded and she made her way out the door. _I wonder what will happen now?_ Mid-cleaning, I was forcefully brought back to reality by a knock on my door. "Eren, supper is ready."

"Thanks but I'm not hungry!" I said, turning towards my screen, again.

"No, Eren! If you're not down here in five minutes, I'm going to ground you and sell that blasted laptop to your cousin!"

"Mommmm" I stretched out the word as I left my room. _They thought of everything but a pause button, hm? _I thought as I headed down the stairs. I sat down at the table, almost everything was set. Dad was across from me, Mikasa was on my right side. Like always, mom brought the mail to dad before bringing out the food.

"Oh, Eren, looks like you got something in the mail." My father handed me a small envelope.

"That's weird.." I looked at the return address. There was none. I tucked it under my butt and decided I would open it later. "I'm starving!"

Mom glared at me as she set down the macaroni salad, turkey and steamed vegetables… "I thought you told me- without even hesitating, might I add, that you weren't hungry."

I smiled. "Sorry mom, I'm just having lots of fun lately."

She tried to stay mad at me but she had to smile. Everyone ate together. We talked about Mikasa's outstanding grades and my father's work. I talked about Armin's crush at school and how he tried to copy a jock at school to try and impress her… Finally, I washed the dishes by hand and ran upstairs. "Thanks for supper, mom!"

"Wait!" She said, frowning. "I know you're growing up but is it really that difficult to give your mom a hug?"

"Fineeee." I smiled, giving her a hug. "Okay? Can you survive without me? I'm going to go play my video game, now!" I pointed my letter at her as if it was my finger.

She laughed. "Yes, I'm better now."

"Good." When I got to my room, I sat down and opened my letter.

It was a practically blank page that said. "First key. M897-Q#257-990"

"Huh. Wonder what this is for and who sent it to me?" I set it on the corner of my desk and kept cleaning.

So, I try to write well but if I ever have a mistake, or you just need to contact me, do not be afraid to PM me. Also, this fic does follow the original story however there will be some changes coming. So, hold on to something.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

"Right. We can't let them get any further than they already are. "

"Captain, this is Eren's first real mission with us, are you sure he should be in this position?"

"Ignore Petra, captain. WE trust your judgement."

I sat at the table feeling a little out of the loop. My character was playing with the utensils on the table while they had their meeting over private message. I was playing around with my options menu, making sure I hot keyed the additional actions I would need against titans. I passed over the extra tab. I figured it was a glitch. It had been over a month and it still wasn't fixed. There wasn't a contact option on the site. So I decided to ignore it most of the time, but seeing as I was bored and the squad was pm-ing each other secretly…. I clicked on the key hole. A small window popped up and my avatar passed out on the table. The window was empty except for a bar where you could enter select numbers and letters.

I exited the window, my avatar woke up to the entire squad surrounding it. Well, other than Heichou. "Are you alright, Eren? Did you eat enough? You just collapsed on the table." Petra offered me some of her food. I nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed. _Never touching that thing again._ I turned to look towards Heichou. He was staring at me. I turned towards Petra again, still shoving food in my face. "I'm OKAY, Petra! I'm FINE. I was just playing with my options menu.."

"I wasn't aware of an option that temporarily knocked out your avatar..." Heichou remarked.

"What do you want me to say? I didn't do it on purpose."

The man shrugged and took his leave. The rest of the team followed him. Petra waved me forward. "Follow me once we're out there, alright?"

I smiled. "ok." Suddenly, a very annoying bloop-sound interrupted me. Mikasa had sent me a PM: "Eren, are you going to fight the titans at wall Maria?" I replied…. PM: "RE:UNTITLED— Yeah, I'm following my squad out. I think we're frontlines…"

"RE:REUNTITLED—No, you're not, Eren. They sent Armin's squad out first to thin out the opposition… Eren, they're not letting me go. Try to find Armin while your team is out."

I was paranoid, normally it would be fine but Mikasa seemed panicked. That was enough for me. "RE:REREUNTITLED: Yeah. I will."

I caught up with Heichou and the others. We were lead into the thick of it. "Alright! Kill as many as you can, retrieve the fallen soldiers!" I was yelling, trying to keep up. My speed stats weren't nearly as high as Heichou's, especially with the 3D manoeuvre gear. "I NEED TO SEARCH FOR MY FRIEND, SIR!" He didn't respond, the team sped up and left me behind. I took it as a 'we didn't see anything'.

After a few buildings and dodging a few titans, I finally found Armin resting on a roof. "Armin!"

"Eren! I ran out of gas."

"Tch! Hold on to me, I'm getting you out of here!"

Armin rejected. "You'll be betraying your squad and ignoring orders!"

I grabbed him by the waist. "Sorry Armin, I'm not going to leave you here." I managed to get Armin to the gate. Checked my tank, which was half way full. _That's enough to at least catch up to Heichou and come back…_ I head out, doing better than expected, until a piece of stone debris knocked me down onto a roof, crushing my leg. I was flung much further then I had previously thought. I could see my squad in the distance.

*BLOOP.* A PM. "BRAT- Hey, where are you shitty brat? I thought you'd have finished your "errand" by now."

I quickly replied: "RE:BRAT—Heichou, I finished my errand… But on my way back I was hit by…I think it was a window pane. Pretty sure. I'm trapped and my leg is crushed. Don't wait up for me, I'll have to be creative and figure a way out of this."

*BLOOP.* "RE:REREBRAT—No, you won't make it. I'll send Petra and the others to fetch you. We haven't been able to find any fallen comrades. I'll cover you from a distance. If they don't get to you within a few minutes, call for backup."

I tried moving the giant piece of debris. It was no use, most of it was imbedded into the roof top of the building, now part of the structure's support. "Shit." I knew my only escape would be to sever my leg. It was much easier when I reminded myself that it was a game and I would not lose my limb in real life. Taking out a blade, I lifted it from an angle and stabbed the back of my knee. Slowly cutting away at the joints, cutting clean through my flesh. There was a huge spurt of blood. I wrapped a cloth I received from Petra around my leg and tied it down with some string to try and cut off my circulation.

Speaking of, the group arrive on scene. "Eren! Your leg!—"

"I cut it off. There was no other way. "

Before anymore words could be exchanged, half of them were sent flying by a giant hand, without hesitation Petra grabbed me and we headed towards the gate. "THE OTHERS." I screamed. Petra, with a terrified look on her face shushed me shakily. "They'll handle themselves."

I could see the titan holding something limp…. Dark green and putting it into its mouth. I could feel myself becoming ill. I quickly left my desk and ran to the bathroom.

"Eren? Are you alright?" I heard Mikasa's voice from outside the door. I wiped my mouth and took a few seconds to settle. "Yeah. I might have had too many rice crispy squares."

"Alright, Armin just sent me a PM. He's safe. We'll wait for you at base."

After a few minutes, I made sure that I wouldn't get sick again. I set back down at my desk. Petra had brought me to the gate and was in the middle of handing me over to a garrison soldier. "I'm going back."

"Wait, Petra!" I said panicked. "I doubt they're alright. Please, think of yourself."

"Sorry, Eren. I need to make sure they're alright. Or…" She didn't bother finishing the sentence and leapt into the air, the gas supported her as she shot towards the titan. I received a PM;

*BLOOP.* "SHITTY KID—The others didn't make it. Where are you? Is Petra with you, I don't see her."

"RE:SHITTYKID—HEICHOU! I couldn't stop her! She's headed back."

"RE:RESHITTYKID—What? STOP HER."

"RE:RERESHITTYKID—I lost a leg, Heichou. I can't."

I felt a wave of guilt. I couldn't stop her, if she got hurt, it would be my fault. I looked through my handbook to try and find any tips.. Nothing. I tried google. Nothing. I looked around frantically for any kind of information that could help. I was the closest to Petra for now, if only I could get to her. The garrison soldiers that Petra left me with lifted me up. "NO. Wait. I have to do something." The men laughed at me. I spotted the envelope on the corner of my desk. "WAIT."

I clicked the tab in the options menu. My avatar passed out and I entered the code. 'M897-Q#257-990'

The screen went white. One by one, my chat box disappeared, my inventory disappeared, my options menu disappeared….the entire screen was consumed by the game's graphics. The white finally faded and I could see further than before. _Was this a cheat?_

I ran towards Petra, by the time I arrived she was already in the clutches of a titan. Heichou was leaning on his blade. I knew why, she was already dead. There was no point anymore. I angrily charged towards the titan and knocked it to the ground. Crushing its neck. I turned towards Heichou and stared at him. I tried talking but my chat box was gone. He launched himself towards me, then behind me. Pulling out his blade and lifting them high. _He'll kill me! _

_NO, WAIT. _All my boxes returned to my screen, and my avatar emerged from a titan shell. "HOLY SHIT." I pushed my chair away from my desk but it ended up catching on a sock and I fell over. Making a giant thump-sound.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

I decided to take a small break from "_Behind the Walls_." It was all too much to handle. I'm sure my life on BW is over, now. Everyone's going to think I work with the titans and I'll Kill them all. It wasn't worth the amount of disappointment I would feel. So I closed my laptop. I left my room and sat in the living room. Mom was cleaning the kitchen, she had just made a fresh new batch of home-made bread... It smelled amazing. She sat in the chair next to me after placing a slice of bread on the coffee table.

"Thanks mom." I said, munching on the crust.

"Eren… I don't want to encourage your addictive habits but I can't help but feel like you're upset."

I couldn't look her in the eye. "Yeah, well. Turns out I don't even have a place in the virtual world on top of the real one…"

"Oh, Eren d—"

"No, mom. Don't even try. You know it wouldn't matter. I'm not like Mikasa or Armin. They have it easy, they're naturally smart and talented."

I knew she wanted to correct me but she probably understood that nothing she said would have helped me. She changed the subject and tried her best to distract me. We were eating bread and watching TV by the time dad got home. He looked like he was dragging himself back, he just dropped his suitcase and kicked off his shoes. "Hey dad." I tried sounding supportive. He smiled at me and sunk into the lazyboy.

"Hey Eren, how are you doing, today? Hows your gam—"

I could see my mom shake her head hurriedly from the corner of my eye. I decided to answer and spare them the complexity of dealing with my issues. "I've had a good day, dad. A few issues here and there but I'm sure it'll clear up." Dad smiled.

"That's my boy! You're a tough kid." He said, struggling to find a comfortable position in his chair. Seemed like Dad was tired so I left him with mom in the living room. Making my way up the stairs and into my bed. It was pretty late. I was thinking about the game, then the squad… _Guess I'll just go back to browsing Tumblr._ I attempted to stand and collapsed onto my bed. "Guess that's not happening." *BZZZZT BZZZT*

I received a text. Normally I get a few texts but my cell is always under my pillow. So I never noticed them, not to mention I never took it off of vibrate. It read: "Mikasa: Eren, You have to go on Skype and add 'Noneofyourdamnbusiness'. Apparently it's really important." I paused for a second. "pffft" Holding back a laugh. _Seriously? Whose username is that? Did they say that in response to Skype asking them for a name? _I smirked. "Sure, Mikasa. I'll go do that right now."

I logged onto my laptop; "Wingsoffreedom"…. A few indescribable sounds happened and I was logged into Skype. I added "Noneofyourdamnbusiness". Within seconds, I received a response. Finally, I clicked on the profile… It was Levi. That explains so much.

[2014-03-09 10:51:42 PM] Levi Rivaille: Eren, I'm the only one who witnessed what happened today. I need you to talk to me. Now.

[2014-03-09 10:51:57 PM] EREN: OKAY. OKAY, Heichou. I didn't even know that I could do that. It freaked me out. I don't think I even want to play the game anymore! O^ O

[2014-03-09 10:52:34 PM] Levi Rivaille: Calm down…Eren.

[2014-03-09 10:54:02 PM] EREN: Y-Yeah. Sorry, Heichou.

[2014-03-09 10:55:24 PM] Levi Rivaille: Listen, Eren. Nothing will change. You can help our side win the war against the Titans.

[2014-03-09 10:55:47 PM] EREN: NO.

[2014-03-09 10:55:58 PM] Levi Rivaille: Why not?

[2014-03-09 10:56:23 PM] EREN: Heichou, They'll kill me. They'll think I'm a freak. I'm already an outcast in real life, I don't need this sort of thing from BW.

[2014-03-09 10:58:42 PM] Levi Rivaille: … I see. Eren, I think we need to discuss this in detail. Perhaps you should take a break… But here's my deal. I will allow you to rest, I will not reveal your titan form to anyone else and you can come back whenever you are ready but until then you have to promise to keep in touch with me every day.

[2014-03-09 11:00:52 PM] EREN: Fine. B  
But I might never go back.

[2014-03-09 11:11:32 PM] Levi Rivaille: I'll take that chance. But you're not entirely stupid so I think you'll end up coming back at some point.

[2014-03-09 11:12:27 PM] EREN: Gee, since when have you been so positive?

[2014-03-09 11:18:19 PM] Levi Rivaille: I like to make believe that I'm a pessimist.

[2014-03-09 11:21:45 PM] EREN: I don't know if I should laugh or…. ovo;

[2014-03-09 11:25:36 PM] Levi Rivaille: Stop doing that…. Smiley thing.

[2014-03-09 11:31:47 PM] EREN: 'Kay.

After getting a speech from Heichou, he forced me to exchange phone numbers with him and told me to keep it on me at all times. He ended up making part of the deal, saying that if he ever needed my help online, he would text me. _Why do I always find myself in these situations?_ By the time I logged off, it was around twelve in the morning. _Perfect. _I went to brush my teeth and wash my face… I was walking a little unsteadily while exiting the bathroom and didn't even notice my dad until I was on the ground. "Sorry, Dad. I'm just tired…" He lent his hand to me and helped lift me off the ground.

"Hm… Eren, you should be more careful. But I can associate with that feeling…. What were you doing up so late?"

I could feel the blood rushing to my face. _What was I doing? Talking to my captain from an online game about transforming into a titan… And entering a depression because of social standards based off of fear…. _I was contemplating what the best way to explain it would be… I could explain it in the context of BW which would probably confuse and annoy him or come up with a more realistic—

"Eren?"

"Oh, Uh. I was talking to my close friend about puberty…Y-Yeah, I have been having a hard time. I grew bigger and—"

"Ohhhhkay, Eren. I'm glad you found such reliable friends." Dad cut me off, running into the bathroom. "Sorry, kiddo! I have the… Runs! You should catch up on your sleep."

I wasn't sure if I should laugh or cry. I knew I was blushing. _Alright. I think it is time to go to bed. _I walked into my room, shut off the lights, closed my drapes, jumped into bed and pulled up my sheets. "Jean would have a field day with this." I closed my eyes… Opened them again. _You know, I might have been tired when I gave Heichou my number. I should check if it works. _

"Goodnight, Heichou."

"It's Levi….. Go to sleep, brat."


	5. Chapter 5

Listening to my IPod, I lied on my bed. I decided to ignore the game. It worked for the most part, my life went back to the boring state it was originally in. Except… *Bzzt Bzzt* There was one thing that made it more interesting, this time around.

Levi: "You better not be sulking alone, again."

I stared at my phone a while before answering. _We've been talking for a while, now. But he has me figured out. _I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. I replied. "Not exactly, I'm enjoying the darkness of my room while listening to soothing music…"

Levi: "Right. What are you listening to right now?"

"Animal I've Become… By Three Days Grace…"

Levi: "Yeah, soothing my ass. Your taste in music needs updating."

I wasn't sure if Levi was trying to comfort me or bully me, I eventually decided he had some kind of social issue. He must be a jerk at least half of the time, I thought, that's probably the first rule. Even though this time, he was being pretty tame about it. "I guess I do need to update my playlist. What do you suggest I listen to?"

Levi: "I don't think we have the same taste in music. Make a fucking effort and find some yourself."

Initially, I wasn't going to say anything and just accept his reply. But I felt like playing his game. It looked fun and I was bored. _A little depressed, too. _"On second thought, I'll stick to Three Days Grace."

Levi: "Don't be difficult, brat. You're just going to end up feeling like an even bigger piece of shit if you keep listening to that crap."

"Then why don't you show me a thing or two? What do you listen to?"

Levi sent me a link to a list of playable songs on a site… Slacker Radio. I texted him. "I'll download these and get back to you when I finished them." Then I closed my phone, feeling satisfied. I hoped that my sudden vanishing act after stealing his playlist would leave him annoyed. _The killers… That's cool. The xx… AFI, Depeche Mode, Three Doors Down..._ Suddenly, the music changed drastically. _Kid Rock, Great Big Sea, Lana Del Rey, George Jones, Brad paisley… _

A little shocked, I pick up my phone. "I think my opinion of you may have been wrong. Where's the Dixie Chicks? LOL" _Better to laugh, than cry_. I honestly expected some Heavy metal, or maybe even Alternative… Or Indie! Or based on his age, at least some 80's music.

Levi: "Shut up. My music is better than your crap. I prefer music with lyrics that don't mention sex or teenage angst every other verse."

"Pfff HAHA." I buried my face into my pillow. _Wow, he's sooo deep. I have a feeling he just puts up a front. _I couldn't help but think that was a bit adorable. Before I could lose myself in thought over this new discovery, Levi interrupted me.

Levi: "Hey, fuck you. You asked for it."

"Alright, Alright." I texted. Maybe he was offended.

Levi: "I don't really give a shit what you think about my taste in music. Just get out of bed and do something productive, little shit."

I felt almost disappointed. It felt more like a lecture, now. "Yes, mom." I replied, annoyed. If I had a slightly worse dad, with a bad attitude and an obsession with cleanliness….*Bzzt Bzzt*

Levi: "Actually. Where do you live?"

I scoffed. "I'm not supposed to tell strangers where I live."

Levi: "Dumb ass, Isn't it that you're not supposed to talk to strangers? Stop being a twat and answer my question."

"Geez. Fine." I gave him the name of my city. I didn't give him my address, though. It felt awkward, now. Suddenly, I saw Levi as an old man who could be my father. The lecture was at fault, mostly.

Levi: "I live a few minutes away from there. "

"Seriously?" I set down my phone. _Why were all of my online friends nearby? _I decided to go get some food before continuing. Opening my door, my hand was still on the doorknob when I heard a vibrating sound. "…." _Maybe I'll answer before getting some food. N-No, no, no. It's just a guy texting me. An older guy. That I barely know. Who has a bad attitude. Get a grip, Eren. You know eating is a good reason not to answer your phone… Actually, why am I answering him right away? I must seem dependant. _Frowning, I closed the door behind me as I rushed down the stairs.

"Good afternoon, Eren. I made cookies, do you want some?" Mom said, as she spread the cookies on the counter and proceeded to put the baking sheet in the garbage.

"No. I don't want cookies." I said, opening the fridge. I grabbed a few things to make a sandwich, I ran out of hands so I stuffed the plastic wrapped lunch meat in my mouth and closed the fridge door with my foot.

"Oh, alright. Are you okay? Is something bothering you?"

I nodded as I unwrapped my potential sandwich ingredients. I didn't bother looking up as I spoke. "Yeah. There's this guy, he keeps lecturing me on being productive and stuff. He thinks he's so cool, but I keep talking to him anyway." I went on as I spread mustard on my bread. "I mean, he is cool and mature.. Actually, he's older than me." I impatiently cut a slice of cheese and placed it on the bread. "He lives nearby. But It's all a fluke because of what happened in my game…" After a few minutes of rambling I finished my sandwich and stuffed it in my mouth as I packed up the things on the counter and placed them back into the fridge. I would take the sandwich out of my mouth to talk. "Mhm-And he sent me country music…" I chewed. Took another bite and kept going. "Then he asked me where I lived." I felt my face warm up.

My mom chuckled. "Oh, well, Eren. You should go meet him. It's obvious that you're smitten."

I paused for a bit. "I'm eating in my room." I said, and stomped my way up the stairs. I lied down on my side, eating my sandwich, holding my phone in my left hand.

Levi: "I'm not working, today. You want to leave the confines of your home and meet up?"

I almost choked.

"No."

Levi: "Stupid brat."

I smiled. _I really shouldn't smile at that. Really, that's not nice of him to say. Plus, isn't he just making the age gap worse by calling me a brat? _

"You're an asshole, with bite who's maybe 20 years older than me. I met you on BW, an online game. You're always lecturing me and calling me brat or some sort of abusive title... Why should I hang out with you? The only reason we're talking now is because you have dirt on me in the virtual world…I should honestly just ragequit."

Levi: "You'd have left a while ago if you really couldn't handle my personality. You can't fool me, brat. There's a small restaurant on 8th Ave. Called Stacey's place. I'll meet you there in two hours. My treat."

UGH. "You're annoying." I said out loud and slammed my phone into my sheets. "THE NERVE." My face was red. I got out of bed and angrily searched through my closet. Suddenly my door cracked open.

"Eren, what's going on?" Mikasa peeked her head into my room. "You're blushing a really deep red, you know." She added.

"Mikasa, I don't want to hear it. I was blackmailed! Tricked! Now I'm going on a date with… With-"I stopped, my arm was in the middle of tugging down a dark pair of jeans. _With Levi. _Suddenly, I felt a huge wave of embarrassment and my stomach twisted with excitement. Felt a little like I was stabbed… I sat on the ground and put my face in my hands trying to hide my face.

"I see." She said, smiling. The door closed. I was staring at the outfit I picked out absentmindedly. I wasn't sure if I was unhappy or happy. Confused, I put on my clothes, grabbed my wallet, my keys… _Should I bring a jacket? It's pretty warm out, today. I probably won't need it. _

I ran out of the house and stood at the bus stop. It was a bit chilly thanks to the breeze, but if there was no breeze, it would be the perfect weather. The sky was a beautiful baby blue, with scattered white clouds that hugged the sky like ribbons. They were being blocked by the street lights that were pretty much useless at this time of day. My eyes followed the wires of the wooden posts, where a few birds were perched. The grass was pretty green but since winter just passed, there were plenty of brown patches and trash littering the ground close to the street. The bus arrived after only a few minutes, I stared out of the window, watching the small houses leave my line of sight as we passed them by. I had calmed down but I couldn't help but think. _What are we going to talk about? What are his intentions? He didn't say it was a date. I should stop jumping to conclusions, if he sees me all flustered and he really didn't mean anything by it, I'll just look like an idiot. _

Before I knew it, I was on 8th ave. I got off the bus and walked towards Stacey's Place. I knew it pretty well, it's my favorite little restaurant. Armin would always eat with me, there, during the summer. I opened the door and sat in the waiting room, scanning the place. I realized I didn't even know what he looked like. I felt a little panicked. _Does that mean I really did want to meet him? _

I received a text.

Levi: "If you're the brunette, with a lost expression on your face at the front entrance... I'm in the booth on the right next to the window."

I walked over, trying to hide my embarrassment. "Hey." I tried to sit down without fucking anything else up. I tripped on the wedge lifting the booth from the floor and sat awkwardly after catching myself. _Damn it. Really? REALLY? _

Levi smirked. "That was adorable, princess. Next time I'll hold your hand as you take your seat."

I managed a glare and fought back a nervous laugh. "Shut it, or I'll throw my glass slipper at you."

He burst out laughing.


	6. Chapter 6

**So, I'm planning on having Eren and Levi return to BW in the near future, for now, enjoy some fluff. Also, sorry for any delay, I have been sort of busy with college.**

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"Good evening, guys! Welcome to Stacey's place! Here's the menu."

The attractive waitress placed two menu booklets on the table carefully as she smiled. She didn't seem to pay much attention to Levi, despite how handsome he was but after thinking about it a little more, I realized she was probably in her early twenties. _Guess she likes them younger..._After spacing out momentarily, I returned to the real world where both the waitress; whose name tag said: "Hello, my name is Bella." and Levi, were both staring at me.

"Hey, brat. She asked if you wanted anything to drink."

"Oh! Uh, a Coke, please!" I said hurriedly.

The waitress winked at me, turned and walked into the distance. A little embarrassed, I turned my focus to Levi who was looking at the menu and smiling. I never really imagined he would be a very cheerful person based on his personality... I wanted to ask why he was smiling, but I knew he'd probably answer something along the lines of me being pathetic and hilarious. _What's the point if I know what he'll say... _But there was a small chance he would answer with something I couldn't have predicted. That chance made it worth asking.

"Why are you smiling, Heichou?"

The man's steely, unsaturated eyes lifted from the page and gazed at me. His expression changed, and his shoulders slouched forward.

"My name's Levi, I'm not exactly a captain or anything like that in real life." He paused. "I'm smiling because you're pathetic and hilarious."

Normally, over chat, I would have said something witty, or funny, maybe even charming. For some reason, I couldn't vocalize anything decent, I was just sitting there. I took the time to think it over, I wanted it to change. _Why isn't this conversation going like it normally does? Am I too shy? Now that I think about it, I haven't been paying too much attention, he must think I'm aloof. Okay, I need to contribute more.. What do I say?_ The waitress brought our drinks. She handed me my pop and handed Levi a small bottle… Of beer. I was so distracted, before, I didn't even notice what he ordered… The alcohol reminded me of his age, there was no way I could order a drink like that. I felt myself sink in my chair.

"Ha ha." I exaggerated, trying to hint at sarcasm. "Well, why did you want to meet up, Levi?"

He closed the menu and placed it in the middle of the table. "Well, you seemed boxed in and depressed."

"Tch, yeah right. I don't think that's really why you invited me, here. Here, as in, Stacey's Place. My favorite diner."

His eyebrow lifted slightly. He leaned in a little; "Oh? I didn't know this was your favorite diner. I just liked this place so it was the first one that came to mind."

"Oh." I said.

"But, you're right. I didn't exactly invite you because I knew you felt like shit and probably needed to get out." He straightened his posture and looked me in the eye. "It's partly because I can't afford to let you quit BW. You're going to be useful in the war. But it's also because..."

There was a long pause, Levi's attention seemed to shift entirely though he was still looking at me. I took the time to look at the menu, after a long enough pause I decided to order what I normally did and pushed the menu towards the one Levi had placed on the table. Levi snapped out of his daze and placed my menu neatly above his. I couldn't help but grin, seeing his obsessive cleanliness in the flesh was kind of endearing.

"Because?" I asked. But before he could open his mouth, Bella returned with a pad of paper.

"Hello, boys!" She looked at me, almost ignoring Levi… "Did you decide on what you were ordering?"

I made an uncertain face and looked at Levi before saying anything. He had a sour expression while looking up at the girls back. "Uh... I guess we decided. What are you having, Levi?" The girls smile seemed to fade but she cheered up and changed her focus in a pinch.

"Sir?"

Levi scowled. "I'll have a Caesar wrap, with less chicken and extra cheese." He took a deep breath. "Actually, I want some steamed vegetables on the side with extra broccoli, as well."

Bella's' pen danced on the surface of the notepad for a few seconds and in a flash, she turned towards me. "-and you? What would you like?" She said with a sweet tone. I could hear Levi groaning in the background.

"Well, I also wanted a Caesar wrap."

Bella took a step closer. "Anythinggg else?" She prolonged.

"Not really, thanks."

She hopped in place and pointed out an advertisement on the table. "Our special homemade French bread and jams are on sale with anything on the lunch menu, if you're interested!"

I lifted my hands as if I had been arrested, her continuous bombarding questions were starting to make me nervous. "No, thanks. Sorry.—"

Levi took the menus off the table and handed them to her. "That's our order, please make sure to tell the kitchen instead of hitting on my date."

She, swiftly, took the booklets and walked away. I stared at Levi. Shocked about his sudden outburst and statement. Though, I didn't want to admit it to myself for plenty of good reasons, I knew this was a date. So far, it hasn't been a good one. I took a sip of my drink and tried to lighten the mood.

"Okay Levi, I don't know a lot about you. You should talk about yourself." I said.

"I like rainbows and unicorns, kitties are life and I draw pictures of alien porn for a living."

I kicked him underneath the table. "LEVIII. Seriously! What's wrong with you? I'm trying to get to know you better…" I looked down, feeling sort of disappointed. I picked up the spoon, I knew I wouldn't be using it, and bent it slightly. Making a game out of bending it back into its original shape. Levi's eyebrows creased, he let out a sigh and took the spoon out of my hand.

"Sorry, I get carried away sometimes." He placed the spoon on his side of the table sparing it from my torture. "I'm thirty or something, I. Like cats. I like country. Uh." There was a pause, it was obvious he didn't talk about himself very often. "I say things bluntly and harshly with a bad attitude. I like to keep things clean. I think you're cute…."

"Wait a minute." I said. "What?"

"I'm not repeating myself, Idiot." He said, looking in the kitchen's direction. He was probably hungry. Since I had a sandwich, I wasn't really in a hurry.

"So, what? You take me out to Stacey's, tell the waitress it's a date before you tell me and now you're telling me you think I'm cute but you won't repeat it?"

"Yes."

"Next thing I know, we'll be a couple before I was informed!"

"That sort of thing requires consent. Especially since you're a brat."

"So, this time I get to make the call?"

He smiled. "Yeah."

Bella set the plates on our table. Before she could open her mouth, I made sure to speak very loudly. "OKAY, Levi!" I placed my hands on the table, dramatically. "Will you be my boyfriend?" I could feel my face burning, though I'm sure my face wasn't as red as Bella.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for another long wait! This takes place maybe two or three weeks after the date. This Chapter is a bit longer but I hope you enjoy it! The next one is coming very soon! Sorry if it's a bit more fast paced.**

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It's been a while since I started dating Levi, we went on a few dates but we mostly talk over Skype for now. After a lot of convincing and name calling, he finally talked me into playing BW, again. He promised he would talk to Erwin before I arrived and make sure I would be protected from any human threat. So that Saturday morning, I got out of bed… Took a shower, brushed my teeth, had a go at styling my hair but it just remained the way it normally was. After I finished cleaning myself up, I started crossing the hallway to reach my room and just before I grabbed my door knob, I was interrupted.

"Eren, I want to talk to you about something." My father approached me from the staircase. He seemed excited.

"But dad… I was just going to do something!"

"It'll just take a minute, Eren. Besides, I came up with a new idea for us to spend more time together!"

I sighed. "You might think your idea is brilliant, dad, but you work too much to pull anything off. AND you are not dragging me to your workplace like you used to when I was a kid." As I finished the sentence, I turned my head towards my room and entered it, closing the door in my father's face. At first I felt a small twinge of guilt but I managed to shrug it off. I sat at my desk, opened my laptop and took out my snacks. "Wingsoffreedom" Suddenly my screen came to life, Skype automatically signed in and the BW sign in window popped up all on its lonesome. As I sign in, I notice my inbox full of concerned and concerning Private Messages: "/Armin says: EREN, WHERE ARE YOU? /Armin says: The Titans attacked SINA! /Jean says: Eren… It's about Marco /Erwin says:Re: All cadets. /Armin says: EREN, I'm joining the scout regiment. "

To summarize them after what I read… Armin couldn't find me online, I never told him I was taking a break and since school had been so demanding with exams coming up, we've been too busy to talk about BW. Then He tells me in another PM that wall Sina was attacked and invaded by Titans due to a new gap in the wall. The following message was from Jean, personally informing me of a fellow cadet and friend… Marco, which was found dead. Another message from Erwin after the fight to keep Sina as safe as possible, trying to convince players to join the scout regiment. And another message from Armin, going on about how he was going to join up and fight the titans. At first I was bothered by all of this but accepted it as best I could, since I decided to leave in the first place. On top of that, Levi had told me about wall Sina during one of our chats so it was less surprising. But the news about Marco still had me shaken up. I should have kept playing.

I moved my avatar, making my way to see Levi. After all, I was joining the cause, too. But when I finally arrived at the giant castle like building, I noticed no one was there. It was like a ghost town, there weren't even any NPCs. I opened my chat box.

"Levi?" my avatar gripped the door handle but the inside was barricaded. I typed another message. "Hello?" I looked around, clicked on the windows to see if I could peek through them and failed since they were so high off of the ground. _Heh. Levi wouldn't be able to see through these for sure. _Before I could process another thought, I was surrounded by uniforms.

"Eren. Please stay calm." I see a text bubble amongst the crowd. A character with blonde hair, down to his chin; makes his way out of the crowd. His avatar was holding handcuffs. "Eren, you need to come with me. We promise you won't be harmed."

Before I move, I ask Armin: "Armin? What is this? And where is Heichou?"

Armin Sighs. "He was arrested."

Alarmed, I spoke again. "What?! WHY?"

Armin looked at his two companions with a sad expression, they both nodded and took a step towards me. "Because he was withholding precious information from humanity and his majesty the King…"

I wasn't stupid, it didn't take long to figure out what happened. Levi approached Erwin about my ability… and someone overheard them. He's probably in trouble because of me. I commanded my avatar to surrender, my best friend handcuffed me and walked me away. I ended up in a cell next to Levi, in the basement of the BW court. After being placed in the cell, I spat at the guards.

"Hey. If you guys are really going to keep my character trapped in this boring little place for so long I'm going to log off until you decide on something. If you need anything, send me an email." I said. I looked at Levi's character before receiving a PM. *Bloop* "Eren- I'll meet you on Skype." I replied. "RE:Eren- Alright.." Levi's avatar became completely still and fell asleep. I logged out.

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[2014-03-29 11:25:24 AM] Levi: Hey.

[2014-03-29 11:27:40 AM] EREN: Hey

[2014-03-29 11:27:10 AM] Levi: Look, sorry I couldn't follow through on my promise. I tried to talk to Erwin and after I told him about it, he turned us both in.

[2014-03-29 11:28:23 AM] EREN: Don't worry, Levi. It's just a game. I'm kind of starting to give up on the thing anyway.

[2014-03-29 11:29:48 AM] Levi: …

[2014-03-29 11:29:53 AM] EREN: If anything, I feel bad. You seem to like it more than I do. If anything I ruined it for you.

[2014-03-29 11:30:04 AM] Levi: Don't be pathetic about it.

[2014-03-29 11:30:43 AM] EREN: Ouch.

[2014-03-29 11:32:11 AM] Levi: It doesn't matter, I suppose. It was just an escape from my everyday life… I have to admit, it was fun being the leader of a squad in a virtual army against Giant man-eating monsters. Not that my life is as boring, now. Heh.

[2014-03-29 11:33:23 AM] EREN: For some reason, thinking of you saying "Heh" like that inspires fear…. Anyway, what was so boring about your life? I mean, I always liked video games, I don't think you're normally the type that resorts to video games impulsively.

[2014-03-29 11:36:07 AM] Levi: I know I mentioned some aspects of my past to you. But I work as a hotel manager, I have been working as such for the past ten years. Before that I was a housekeeper at the same Hotel, I was hired on because an elderly woman who used to clean the rooms passed away. I still Fill in for some housekeepers if we're ever short but all I do is sit at a desk all day, ordering supplies, checking on my employees, reading reports, organising new projects and such… I would read to pass the time when I finished all my responsibilities, or even help my employees but they got annoyed.

[2014-03-29 11:36:43 AM] EREN: Oh wow.

[2014-03-29 11:38:21 AM] Levi: One day, at my desk I was googling the dumbest things when I happened upon an article describing Behind the Walls. I decided to try it.

[2014-03-29 11:38:43 AM] EREN: That explains that. I didn't know about your work, though. I'm happy I brought this up! Haha

[2014-03-29 11:39:16 AM] Levi: Why? Work like this is so unsatisfying when it's so…

[2014-03-29 11:39:21 AM] EREN: Organized?

[2014-03-29 11:40:39 AM] EREN: … Well that just means you're good at your job. Anyway, I should probably eat lunch. I'll be right back.

[2014-03-29 11:40:52 AM] Levi: Actually, I need to go do some things.

[2014-03-29 11:41:22 AM] EREN: Alright, I'll…Be waiting here I guess?

Levi went offline. I felt a little disappointed even though I was going to do the same thing. I rested my head in my hands for a bit and got back on to my feet. _I was hungry anyway. _I opened my door and walked down the stairs. Mikasa was next to the stove, boiling some water and cutting up veggies. "What's cooking, Mikasa?" I shouted at her from the stairs. She turned towards me, more or less emotionless.

"I'm making noodles with a side of diced carrots and celery."

I smiled. "Would you mind if I took some? That sounds really delicious."

She smiled back. "Ofcourse, Eren, you know I don't mind sharing with you."

Mikasa could always make me feel at home. It was her special power or something, as long as school wasn't involved. "Eren, I'll be working part time as a security guard, soon. So I won't be here to prepare lunches, supper or snacks for you when mom and dad are gone. I'll let you know what my schedule is. I know you can't stand eating anything other than my cooking, so I can make you lunches in advance…." She trails off. _Huh, I'll be alone at home from now on? _I zone out for a bit until a plate hits the counter. I sit on a stool next to the counter and tune back into the reality channel. "….Besides, we all know how important education is now a days. I hope you don't mind this flavor."

I nod and dig into my plate. "It's good!" I say in between bites. She sits across from me after shutting off the stove top. She stares at me awkwardly. I know this means she wants me to talk. But I pretend as if I didn't notice and she continues talking about her new part time job and how she's saving up for university. After a few minutes, I could barely sit through it all. "Okay, Okay. I'll talk." Mikasa grins and stops talking. "I heard Levi…Heichou, works at the Local hotel and I was thinking of paying him a visit. Sounds fun, right?" Mikasa nodded. "I'll go with you."

After a short pause, I complained. "No, Mikasa. I was going to surprise him myself!" She stared at me. Obviously this was not up for debate. "Okay, why do you want to come?" I asked her.

"I want to know if he's really a clean freak." After she said that I couldn't help but giggle. I knew Levi was a clean freak, but she didn't know I was dating Levi_. I'm not even all that sure she really knows I met him before. If I remember_ correctly, _When I went to meet Levi, I cut myself off before revealing his identity to Mikasa…I don't want to tell her about it yet, or my parents… _

Mikasa got up, grabbed my arm mid-monologue, and stopped at the entrance to put on her shoes. I slipped on some joggers and started walking. Before I knew it we were outside the hotel. It could have been described as a skyscraper. I looked at Mikasa nervously. She smiled. "He won't harm you if I'm around."

…_I think she has the wrong idea…_

We enter the modern looking building. It had a great atmosphere; the walls were painted grey and white with black designs, the carpets looked expensive, the lobby was decorated with black leather lounge chairs and dark oak tables. The entire wall that hosted the entrance was made completely of thick glass with small mosaic pieces adorning the center of each panel. There was a huge reception desk made of glass and wood stained black and next to the desk were the elevators. I walk up to the receptionist.

"Hello." She said, while looking at her computer screen.

I put my hands onto the edge of the desk and prop my chin up. "I'm here to see Levi." The woman lifted a cup of coffee up to her lips, set it back down and typed a few words into her computer as a tall man dressed in black lined up behind me and Mikasa. The woman turned her attention toward me with an annoyed expression on her face.

"Mister Rivaille is off today, he mentioned something about talking to his girlfriend and doing some groceries."

_Huh. Girlfriend? Those things he mentioned must have been groceries. Damn it. _ I felt disappointed but I figured she must have been even more bothered since I wasted her time. "Thanks anyway." I said and tried to put on the biggest smile I had. She gave me a weak smile and turned her attention back to her work. Mikasa chimed in. "If you're tired, Madame, we could get you an energy drink next time we come over." The woman suddenly began to glow. "You are the sweetest! Oh my goodness. Thanks but…. I'm alright! Have a good day, guys!" The woman said happily. Mikasa had a small satisfied look on her face and we got out of the line.

Before leaving, I pulled on Mikasa's sleeve. "Hey, do you mind if we look around? This place is cool."

Mikasa smiled. "Sure."

I made my way towards a painting on the wall, it was Levi. There was a plaque with his name, a date and a small blurb. It read: "The man who earned our reputation for the cleanest and most successful hotel branch. He was awarded a generous donation on the behalf of our company. Please enjoy the fruits of his and our labour!" _Wow. _I thought. _They really laid it on thick. _

Mikasa pulled my arm, I turned my attention to her but she continued to pull me down. I let her pull me down onto the ground, she pushed my head onto the floor. I looked around and realized everyone else in the lobby was on the ground. I look towards the receptionist, her hair is being pulled by a man dressed in black. "THIS IS NOT A DRILL. WE ARE THE TITANS AND YOU ARE OUR HOSTAGES. IF YOU DO NOT LISTEN, YOU DIE."


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you guys for any reviews you give me! It's a big inspiration to see this fic being so well received. I am definitely more motivated when I receive feedback, thank you! I'm excited about this chapter. I hope you enjoy it. **

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I was lying on the ground next to Mikasa. We were staying as quiet as possible but I couldn't control my constant trembling. Mikasa did not react at all. The man dressed in black invited a group of masked people into the hotel and then held a gun at the receptionists head as they forced her to lock all the exits. After they positioned themselves all over the building, five masked men rounded up all the hostages into a board room, past the elevators on the first floor. They had us lay on the floor, like before but removed a handful of women to bring back to the lobby. One man walks up to us and instructs Mikasa to walk in front of him. She stood up but did not move. The man started yelling at her, a few scared whimpers could be heard from some of the others laying on the floor.

I urged her. "Mikasa. What are you, crazy? Listen to him—"Before I could finish, the man kicked my head with as much force he could muster. I put my arms on top of my head, groaning in pain. "Ugh"

Mikasa yelled my name, but it sounded far away. My vision became impaired and I felt nauseous. I felt an arm grab the back of my shirt and lift me off the ground, temporarily choking me. I hear some mumbling and then the mumbling turned into words. They were becoming clearer and clearer. "Are you REALLY EREN JAEGER?"

I find the strength to lift my arms to my neck, clawing at my shirt. I felt a slip and release. I took a few breaths. "I SAID, ARE YOU EREN JAEGER? DON'T LIE TO ME." The man was yelling in the ear he just kicked. I coughed a few times and cleared my throat. "Yes. Yes! That's my name. What do you want?!" The man stood still for a few minutes and screamed in delight. "Guys! You'll never believe this, It's Eren!" A few others entered the room and surrounded me. "He does look like Eren's avatar." Another guy said. The one next to me grabbed my arm with his left hand and used his right hand to slip off his mask. It was… He looked familiar… He had blonde hair…Golden eyes…It was Reiner Braun. "Reiner?" I said. He laughed and lifted me up. "Yeah, from BW!"

I knocked his hand off of me. "What are you doing?!" I demanded to know. He looked at me unapologetically. "You know that letter you received in the mail? It was us! You belong with us, Eren."

I glared at him. "What. Are. You. Doing, Reiner?"

He sighed. "Will you listen to what we have to say if we tell you what's going on, Eren?"

I paused for a moment and took the time to observe my surroundings. There were about a dozen masked men with guns inside the room, now. All the hostages were at gunpoint. If I ran for it, I would be done for… "Sure." I replied.

"We were here for Levi. We heard about your titan ability and wanted to know where you were since you were missing for so long. We figured he would know where you were If he was the source of the information…"

"AT GUNPOINT, REINER? It's just a game! What about these hostages?! Don't you even care? It doesn't even matter, my avatar is being held captive by the court. If you want it so bad, I'll give you the password to my account. Just don't hurt anyone!"

Reiner shaked his head and gripped my arm once again, he pulled me in closer to him with his left hand. And after a bit of movement behind my back I feel a cold metal object on my back. "We don't want your avatar. Your avatar wasn't different because of the way the game was programmed…." Before Reiner could finish his sentence, a gunshot was fired and cut him off. He yelled. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" The man at the door poked his head out and repeated a message to Reiner: "One of the hostages fought back!" -there was another pause as a distant voice spoke. "Bertolt shot her."

I gasped. I almost started running, but Reiner held my arm back. "Tell him to pack up, we have what we want. Some of us will have to stay behind to confuse the authorities and give us an opportunity to escape. You guys choose who will stay behind, I need to get him out of here as fast as possible."

"I'm not leaving without my sister, you asshole." I growled.

"Sister?.." He said. "We don't have time for that."

"Actually, I don't want to go with you guys. You can't just hurt people and take people like this."

Reiner rolled his eyes. "They're only humans."

I scolded him in disbelief. "How could you?! You're human, too. You crazy fool!"

Reiner lifted his gun and violently threw it at one of the hostages. There was a small uproar until Reiner told them to shut up. "We're not entirely human, Eren. We're not like them! WE'RE DIFFERENT!"

The way he spoke had me speechless and afraid. My knees gave out. Reiner started pulling me by my shirt, I used my hands to try and grab something but there was nothing to really grab a hold of. I was dragged out of the room, out into the hallway. I looked towards the front entrance, there were police cars around the building and you could hear a voice from outside trying to rationalize with one of the masked figures. On the ground in front of the doors was a corpse soaked in blood. With black hair… without saying a word I broke free and ran toward it. Someone yelled "DON'T SHOOT HIM. GRAB HIM!" Before they caught up, I could feel an unbelievable amount of energy. My heart was racing, I felt strong. I grabbed the corpse and sprinted out the door into the arms of the authorities- Or so I thought. The man I ran into was not a police man but the person responsible for all of the hostages' safety or anything that happens on the hotel grounds. It was Levi.

He examined me and then threw a glance at what I was holding in my arms. His eyes widened and he looked back at me with a pained expression. I was still breathing heavily, I was mostly wearing an expression of pain. My head was pounding and my heart was still racing. I could hear gun shots in the background and I could see some people falling in the corner of my eyes. I knew we needed to get away. Without thinking, I fought the pain and tackled Levi, grabbing him by the waist and running through the crowd. I ran, as fast as I could while holding onto two people and manage to reach one of the ambulances further off. I let go of Levi and Mikasa then collapse to the ground. My lungs were burning.

"Eren, what in the world…"


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the delay, guys. It's been a long summer! I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It might be a little darker than the others but I am aiming to clarify the situation! I appreciate all the follows and reviews!**

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It had been a month since the accident, thanks to the police investigation, it was only recently that we could arrange proper funeral arrangements for Mikasa. It never occurred to me once that she could die. Mikasa was strong, smart, she was better at everything; better than anyone else. I also never occurred to me before, how life was precious. We make it such a joke, these games based on killing; the point was to shoot as many people as possible. If those were real people, how many families would feel like mine does, now? Everytime I thought of Mikasa I would fall back into a state of grief and fear. Grief over the loss of Mikasa, forever. I couldn't hear her scolding me, anymore. I would never be able to watch her wipe the floor with the guys in her class, I would never experience her stalking me in my games; making sure I wouldn't die… I would never get to yell at her, or make snarky remarks ever again. She wouldn't hear it.

I'd experience fear because if Mikasa could disappear forever, just like that; so easily. Then I could just die anytime, I was wasting my life, waiting to drop. At least, that's how I felt. I wasted my time with her… Now, I was wasting my time with myself and everyone else. If I went to sleep and never woke up… I would never have the chance to recite those last words I work on every night before bed. I wouldn't even be able to grieve. Thinking in circles and silently choking on my sobs, I buried my face into my hands. I wanted to scream her name but I was a coward, in a sense, I just wanted to stay a mess. I wanted to cry until I couldn't cry anymore. I just wanted to feel better, I wanted it to be better. I could hear someone call to me from beyond the wall, the wall behind me, that I could have leaned on. "Eren.." A woman's voice echoed. Her voice was coarse but I recognized it, it was my mother.

"Eren, why don't you come in? I'm sure Mikasa would have wanted you to speak…" There was a pause. "During her funeral… Honey…" She approaches me and sits down beside me. She extends her arms and pulls me in as she embraces me. I could feel her chest expand quickly but stop abruptly. She was trying to hold herself back. I couldn't, though. I couldn't help but cry. I felt like I was screaming, It felt as if everyone could hear me and that made me feel even more shitty.

She pulled me up, still in her arms, she coaxes me slowly into the room. The room full of softer versions of myself. People on the ground, leaning against the couches. _Why did everything have to be black and white?..._ My mother brought me past the doors, then past the main lobby, past the crowd of crying family, friends, acquaintances… _Enough…_ I tried pushing against her to go sit with the other crying, sobbing masses. But my legs could barely keep me up. I was exhausted. She brings me to the front of the wake… Until I'm next to a large; beautiful casket. It was made of dark wood, but it shined; my brain didn't have time to process it all. There was a bar… I leaned against it, gripped them so hard. I hung on as if my life depended on it. I was quiet for just a moment as I looked at her face, it was like she was sleeping. For a moment, I thought: _what if every time I see a sleeping face, I see her? I see this? I see death…._ But before I could decide on being afraid, I was swept into another whirlpool of grief and emotion. How could I speak in front of all these people, who are equally as lost and hurt... When I couldn't even speak.

But something occurred to me, what if she could hear us? It's impossible but the hope was something I could cling to. I knew it was futile, but it was for her. It was something I could do for her, at least…. My expression changed to resemble seriousness. I stopped crying, and stepped towards the small microphone stand. "Excuse me." I said as calmly as I could. I must have sounded so tired but I was on a mission. "Excuse me. I want to say a few words." Everyone lifted their gaze. "I didn't have time to write anything… I'm sure you could imagine how devastated I am and have been…" I paused to take a deep breath. "But this isn't about me, it's about her." I looked to my left; at Mikasa. Then back at the crowd. "Mikasa was the strongest person I ever knew. I'm sure you'd all agree." Some people chuckled and nodded to the best of their ability. "Mikasa would have had a great, successful life if not for this. I think we should all take some solace in that. That Mikasa, even before having the chance to show us all how life is supposed to be done… Has shown us that she would have done just that, if she was given the chance. But she decided to fight for the lives of others, in the end. That doesn't just make her a role model, but a hero. Mikasa was a hero." Before I could talk anymore, my voice cracked and I bit my lip.

It was impossible to continue. I stepped away from the mic and sat down on a black couch not too far away. I looked down and took numerous inhalations. Trying to stay in my calm state. Even for a little bit. For her and the others, if anything. From the corner of my eye entered a very well dressed man, in a dark brown suit. It was such a warm color. It had cream lines… I looked up. It was Levi. He sat next to me, rubbing his neck as if it was extremely sore. His posture was poor and he seemed just as exhausted. Though he wasn't crying, nor did he look like he had been crying. I felt, when I noticed that, that he was probably a very strong person. It sent an unpleasant sensation through my core, since it reminded me so much of Mikasa. That strength, you feel as though they could carry the world on their shoulders... But they don't. He did seem upset, though. He was very calm and from what I could tell, he wouldn't be shooting his crude insults, today.

"Eren, that was a brave speech…" He said, looking away. I think he was just afraid of making it worse for me. He was being very careful.

"Yeah, I can't believe I was able to do it." I said, somehow, I was able to smile. For a moment, I could see him relax his shoulders and an expression of relief was made.

"I was worried about how you would handle all of this. Especially since it happened at my hotel… I don't know how to apologize." Levi's expression changed to something rough and worried.

I knew it would be difficult to talk about. But right now, he needed answers. Unlike me, it was from someone who was here. I owed him a reply. I tried to tough it out. "It's not your fault. It was Reiner and the guys from BW. I'm glad you weren't there. I don't know what I would have done if I lost you and Mikasa…" I stopped myself before I found a new excuse to cry hysterically for days. "Though, can we go into detail, later? I'm just really not up for anything right now. I can barely walk." I said, rubbing my face. My eyes were sore, my throat was sore.

He nodded and placed his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry. It's selfish of me."

I wanted to say no, but I was too exhausted. I leaned against him and we stayed still for the rest of the service. We didn't talk. But I felt much calmer. At the end of the funeral service, a few people approached me with a package. The person holding it was Armin. "The police said they didn't need this, anymore… You parents thought I should give it to you." Armin said. He handed me the package. I opened it, never moving from Levi's side. He was like a support beam, keeping my roof from caving in. Inside the package was a red scarf. I stared at it for some time and then slowly put it on. I promised to myself I would always wear it. It was a symbol of strength, of success. It would mean that I was now going to be as respectable as Mikasa if it was the last thing I did. That was my promise. It was also the physical representation of Mikasa, now. She would always be around. I furrowed my brow, I was determined. The tears stopped, the sadness continued. But I focused on my new goal. I would live my life, now, like she could have. To the fullest.


End file.
